A holiday history: Thanksgiving facts vs. myths

The first Thanksgiving is steeped in lore and surrounded by myths. Here's a look at how the history of the holiday actually unfolded.

Gerry Tuoti Wicked Local Newsbank Editor

The first Thanksgiving is steeped in lore and surrounded by myths. Here’s a look at how the history of the holiday actually unfolded.

What’s in a name?

Although the famous feast the Pilgrims shared with their Wampanoag neighbors in 1621 is commonly known as the “first Thanksgiving,” it wasn’t called that until more than two centuries later. In 1841 Dr. Alexander Young read a recently unearthed account of the colonial harvest feast and proclaimed it the “first Thanksgiving,” according to the Library of Congress. President Abraham Lincoln made it an official national holiday in 1863. While the modern holiday is observed in November, the 1621 harvest celebration likely occurred in September or October.

“We know a second ship came in the beginning of November, and it had already happened,” said Kathleen Wall, a culinarian at Plimoth Plantation.

What’s for dinner?

The English colonists and American Indians may have had turkey at the feast, but there certainly wasn’t any pumpkin pie. The dinner spread likely included wild turkey, duck, swan, goose and even pigeon, Wall said.

“Neither the Wampanoag nor the English people would think of feasting as one celebrity bird at the middle of the table,” she explained.

The Wampanoag men brought several deer for the feast, and it’s fairly certain that shellfish and eels were also featured food.

Pumpkins, turnips, cornmeal porridge, corn cakes, chestnuts and wild grapes may have also been featured.

Since sugar and butter were scarce, and apples didn’t arrive in New England until the British introduced them in the 1630s, it’s also a safe bet that there was no apple pie.

Dressed in their holiday best?

The image of black-clad Pilgrims sporting buckles on their hats is a myth. Buckles didn’t come into fashion until later, and the Pilgrims often wore bright colors. Black fabric was expensive in the 1620s, Wall said.

“Probably, their clothes were pretty beat up,” she said. “There was a lot of hard work, so I think they were a pretty raggedy looking bunch.”

As for the Wampanoag?

“The English commented that the natives wore very little clothing compared to the English,” Wall said. “Massasoit was given a gift of a red horseman’s coat in March, so he may have worn that.”

Think you have a big crowd?

The 1621 feast included 50 English colonists and 90 Wampanoag men. They celebrated the harvest by eating and drinking for three days straight. For entertainment, the men performed shooting exhibitions with their weapons. Football hadn’t yet been invented — at least not in a form modern Americans would recognize — but other entertainment may have included stoolball, a game similar to cricket.